


The sword, teetering, falls

by Starrie_Wolf



Category: Bleach
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Don't copy to another site, Gen, GinIchi Day 2019, Kinda implied GinIchi given the nature of the role reversal, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-07-25 17:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20029576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrie_Wolf/pseuds/Starrie_Wolf
Summary: “It’s a bit of a let-down. I wouldn’t have minded being your prisoner for a little longer… goodbye, Ichigo. I’m sorry.”Or, how the Sōkyoku Hill scene would have gone, had Ichigo been in Rangiku's place.





	The sword, teetering, falls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThatFiend](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatFiend/gifts), [CheshireCaine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireCaine/gifts), [History_Buff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/History_Buff/gifts).

> Hahaha I had fun.

“Kill her, Gin.”

Gin’s overwhelming spiritual pressure, which Ichigo has been shamelessly using to pinpoint the location of the action, vanishes in the blink of an eye.

Ichigo curses. He’s almost at the top of the Sōkyoku Hill now, close enough to hear them, but still too far away to have a hope of stopping Shinsō, he can’t –

“Bankai,” he whispers. “Tensa Zangetsu.”

And the world fades into streaks of light around him.

☆☆☆☆☆

Ichigo takes in the scene at a glance.

Byakuya, clutching Rukia in one arm, on his knees in front of Aizen.

Aizen Sōsuke, his haori billowing in the wind, his demeanour still as unflappable as ever despite having Suì-Fēng’s sword against his neck and Shihōin’s dagger against his abdomen.

The leader of the ryokas, Matsumoto Rangiku, grievously injured but still struggling to rise, her knuckles white around her sword.

Tōsen Kaname standing to the side, with Shūhei’s sword against _his_ neck.

Gin on the other side, looking unharmed, Shinsō held loosely in his non-dominant hand. His back is facing the motley crew of ryokas, all of whom look too cowed to attack him. The recipients of his reiatsu pressure just now, then. An easy way of keeping them out of the fight, without actually having to hurt any of them.

He makes his decision.

☆☆☆☆☆

Shihōin snarls something very uncomplimentary as she dodges out of his way, not that Ichigo really cares. If she gets skewered by him, she doesn’t deserve to hold the title of Goddess of Flash anyway.

Aizen makes a choked noise, that smug smirk finally wiped off his face, and stares down at the sword through his chest like he can’t quite believe it’s there.

“Tell me,” Ichigo roars, over the rush of blood in his ears, “_tell me what you have over Gin_.”

Because he _knows_ Gin, knows the little boy who used to carefully tear his morsel of dried persimmon into two so that they’d both be able to sooth the gnawing hunger for a little while. He’s a snarky, sociopathic bastard with few concerns in life and even fewer friends, but killing _children_ is never going to be something he will willingly condone.

“Kurosaki-taichō!”

“Kurosaki,” Suì-Fēng snaps, though she wisely doesn’t touch him, “we need him _alive_ –”

“This flesh wound won’t be enough to kill him,” Ichigo dismisses her concerns, and twists his sword a little to drive in the point. “After what he’s done to Komamura using a kidō at less than one-third of its power?” He hates to say it, but Aizen may actually have more reiatsu than he does right now, after all the fights that Ichigo’s been in the whole morning.

All around them, more reiatsu signatures wink into existence.

Ichigo ignores them all. “_Tell me_,” he snarls.

Aizen makes a gurgling sound, but the smug expression is back on his face, and Ichigo is so _sick _of it –

“What’s so funny?” Shihōin growls. Her reiatsu lashes against them both, and it might be petty of her, but Ichigo isn’t going to complain. It’s not like it’s hurting him. “Look around you. It’s over, Aizen!”

In response, Aizen’s smirk stretches impossibly wider.

“Oh, I quite agree,” he tells her placidly. “I’m afraid it’s time now.”

Shihōin’s eyes suddenly widen. “Get away from him, Suì-Fēng!”

The alarm in her voice is enough for Ichigo to move as well, even though he didn’t detect anything. If the former head of the Onmitsukidō feels that there’s a threat, well, Ichigo would be the first person to admit that he has about as much reiatsu-sensing ability as a brick wall.

Golden, _solid_, light envelops Aizen, nearly taking Ichigo’s arm off. He swings his zanpakutō against the barrier experimentally, unsurprised when it simply bounces off.

“That light is called ‘Negacion’,” he hears Yamamoto’s voice behind him. “The Menos use it to help save their fellow Hollows.” He sounds old, and tired. “Once enveloped by that light, it is impossible for those within and without to interact.”

“So we’re just going to let him get away?” Ichigo demands, spinning around. His eyes fall on the gathered shinigami, and although he sees the same frustration reflected on their faces, none of them make a move.

“All who have fought Menos know… the moment that light fell upon Aizen Sōsuke, it became impossible to reach him.”

“I’m sorry I can’t give you an answer, Ichigo-kun,” Aizen says. He takes his glasses off, smoothing his hair back, like a smug overlord overseeing his domain. “Truly. I’m sure Gin would have enjoyed being captured by you a little longer.”

With startling, crystal-clear clarity, Ichigo _understands_ now.

If none of them _outside _the Negacion can kill the Huge Hollow keeping the barrier active...

“Gin,” he says loudly, without turning around. He doesn’t need to see Gin’s expression, not now. “_Trust me_.”

There’s absolute silence, like the world is frozen on an in-drawn breath, poised on the precipice of a divergence in course.

And then –

_“Shoot to kill, Shinsō!”_

And the Negacion _shatters _into a thousand shards.

☆☆☆☆☆

“It’s me, isn’t it.”

Gin nibbles at his dried persimmon like he didn’t hear the words. He hasn’t said anything since they led him off Sōkyoku Hill into the most well-guarded prison still standing, not even a nod of thanks when Ichigo passes him a handful of dried persimmons through the bars.

That’s all right. Ichigo can wait.

With a sigh, he sets Zangetsu down, and drops down into a cross-legged position against the wall. The prison guards – and by extension, Suì-Fēng and Shihōin – know he’s here, but so far nobody has come around to chase him out. He figured it’s implicit permission. Or maybe that they’re too busy dealing with the deluge of previously-Hollowfied Gotei members, milling around now that they have official pardons.

“What Aizen threatened you with. It was me, isn’t it?”

Gin’s gaze flickered over to his, and Ichigo takes it as a yes.

He heaves a sigh. Well, what’s done is done. It turns out that even Aizen Sōsuke can’t stand up against the combined forces of an irate Unohana Kenpachi, a furious Yamamoto-sōtaichō, a scorned Shihōin Princess, a framed mad scientist, a couple of Hollowfied shinigami holding a century-long grudge, and a frustrated Kurosaki Ichigo. They may need to spend literal years to unravel the true extent of Aizen’s treachery, but at least the megalomaniac himself is locked away in Mugen, where he’ll never see the light of day again. “I’m glad you trusted me, in the end.”

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> FYI Ichigo is the captain of the Tenth, Hitsugaya is his lieutenant.
> 
> Given that GinRan is canon I think it's fairly obvious that this is meant to be romantic GinIchi, even if they didn't do anything explicitly romantic in this fic (blame Aizen).
> 
> Hotfix 12 Aug 2019: with thanks to Tree1138, Fox_The_Hermit, and CheshireCaine who independently let me know that it wasn't clear where Gin was aiming his Shinsou.


End file.
